DIY Pop Cap Bracelets

I would like to start by first saying that I am so greatful to Alex of Mommy's Craft Obsession for this opportunity.  I have been thinking about starting my own blog for a few months now and then I saw Alex's post and knew that this was the little push that I needed.

My name is Sarah and I am a mommy to two super special kids. My daughter is 11 and my son is 22 months. Now that is a BIG gap (that is always what people say to me....it makes me laugh every time because you have NO idea!). I thought I was one and done and then we got a suprise and what a blessing he has been.  After my son was born in 2011 I quit my job in the banking world and became a stay at home mommy.  I love this new job and journey but I have a great perspective on both sides. It is hard to be a working mom, the struggles of missing things, guilt and work always being there needing more time. It is also hard being a stay at home mom. People think you do nothing as if taking care of kids, home and everyone elses needs it not a FULL time job. So I totally get it! But I would not trade this great time with my kids for anything.  Then there is my husband we have been together for 10 plus years he is my best friend and the person who gets me better than anyone, he makes me laugh when I shouldn't and brings great joy to my life. I wouldn't want to tackle this crazy world with anyone else! Check out my awesome family below this is four generations of love! So now to the good stuff, my blog is new and hopefully will grow with each new friend we make.  It is called Faith Filled Footsteps because that is what I do every day.  I step out into this crazy world with Faith the God knows what he is doing and that what we have is provided by him. He places things in our paths for our growth in him. I raise my children to believe that he is our all and the only thing that we need. So please join us in this crazy journey as we take every day with Faith Filled Footsteps.

DIY Pop Cap Bracelets 

We just finished up spring break here and I don't know about you but all I hear from my daughter during school breaks is " I AM BORED!". So we try and find something to do a few days during breaks.  This time we tackled a super fun project a pop cap bracelet.  My daughter saw these on Etsy and they were $8.00-$13.00. Now I don't know about you but my budget does not allow for kids jewelry in this price range. So we set out to make one. We tried a few that ended up terrible but here is the one we ended up making and my daughter loved.  In fact my 23 year old sister wanted one too!

What you will need:

Ribbon of your choice (thinner is better)
18-26 pop caps
tape 
scissors

To start off take the ribbon and wrap it around your wrist 4 times this is to allow for the proper length.  Fold the ribbon in half to find the middle. Once you have the center take a few pieces of tape  and tape in to your working surface tightly (you will be pulling on this so tape it down good, I used 3 or 4 pieces).

You can do this 2 ways you can face all the pop caps the same direction (this is what we did to eliminate any confusion) or you can alternate them to make the bracelet a little wider.

Take your first pop cap and lace the ribbon up from the bottom through the 1st cap. Pull this cap tight to your tape. You don't want the loop to be to large at the top because this is how you tie the bracelet on.

Take your second pop cap and lace the ribbons down through the holes. Your ribbons will go straight they never criss cross (thought you could probably do this for a more decorative look if you wanted but after so many tries I wasn't going to make this any harder!). Then lace the ribbon back down trough the first cap. Remember to keep the first cap thight to the tape as you tighten them down!

Take your third cap and lace the ribbon up through the holes don't pull it tight to the second cap because you need to lace the ribbon up through the second cap then pull tight.

The first and third cap should be making a row on the bottom with cap two making a row on the top. The side should look like one cap stacked on two caps.

Now take cap four and lace the ribbon down through the holes don't pull tight because you then need to lace the ribbon down through the cap underneath it cap 3.

Continue these steps until you have the desired length for my daughter it was 18 caps for my sister 21 caps. Then tie a double knot underneath the last cap and lace up to make your end ties.  Tie the braclet around your wrsit like a friendship bracelet making a bow then you can cut any extra ribbon. You can also make a belt but that takes about 65 pop cans! 

We loved the way these look.  Just a side note we found 1 yard spools of great pattern ribbon at Jo Anns Fabric for $1.00 so these bracelts were CHEAP! And the yard of ribbon was the perfect length. You can also use colored pop caps some different sodas have different colors or you can spray paint them. These are the three we made!

I hope you love this craft enough to checkout my blog and Facebook page. I can't wait to bring you another guest blog next time.  Remember to make everyday a day of Faith Filled Footsteps.

                                                                                                                                  

Advertisement

You've made the switch to cloth for your little one,

 now why not make the switch for yourself?

Tiny Love Giveaway Brought to You by Daily Mom

Today I have a special giveaway brought to you by a new online magazine called Daily Mom.

Some of you might have heard Daily Mom, while others haven't, but it that just launched last month! It's an amazing resource of posts and articles for the modern woman and mom. Imagine Pinterest worthy posts with useful information about all aspects of life - from parenting to beauty, fashion, green living, health, fitness, and more. Once you visit Daily Mom, you will be hooked - jumping from one post to another.

I have partnered with Daily Mom to host one of their giveaways as a part of an extensive 50 Days of Giveaways campaign to celebrate their launch. For 50 days, they will be giving away one awesome prize a day to thank their new readers.

So today we're giving an opportunity for one lucky reader to win a Mobile by Tiny Love.

Tiny Love is an award winning company that prides themselves on developing toys to help babies growth and development. Be sure to check out their products on their website. Keep in the loop by following them on Facebook.† And of course, enter below for a chance to win.

The giveaway will run for a week, and there are only two mandatory entries with many optional ones. All you have to do is follow the directions below in the Rafflecopter widget. This giveaway is open to legal US and Canadian residents only.

Be sure to visit Daily Mom tomorrow to see what new item they are giving away and to enter previous drawings! The prizes range from strollers to high chairs, monitors, diaper bags, fashion items, baby clothing and photography products. There is something for everyone.

Need Help? Don't have a Facebook account to enter with? Email Daily Mom staff!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

After you've entered the giveaway, be sure to browse Daily Mom and check out some of my favorite posts! I'm loving:

DIY Play Dough

How to Wear Loungewear

Cheap Beauty Products That Work

FEATURED SPONSOR GIVEAWAYS FROM DAILY MOM

This post is for notification purposes only. To see a full list of prizes and current giveaways, please visit †our Giveaway page.

*This post was written by Daily Mom. Mommys Craft Obsession has not been compensated for this post.

Love this blog? 

Vote for us daily so we can continue to bring you great giveaways!

Advertisement

You've made the switch to cloth for your little one,

 now why not make the switch for yourself?

Easy, Raw Cookie Dough Bites

Hey Guys, it's Rebecca!

I LOVE sweets.  I really really do.  I am worse than a little kid.  If I want something sweet, I am a bear until I get it.  That is not something I am proud of.  Since my husband and I decided to be more wary of what products we use around the house as far as chemicals and other nasty things, we also made a choice to eat more natural and organic.  So, no more cookies and breads and sweets that not only do I love to eat, but I loved to bake as well.  And, I might add, I am a really good baker!

This change leads me to this recipe.  It whips up super fast and really curbs my sugar mania episodes! So here it is!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup raw almonds
2/3 cup raw walnuts
2/3 cup gluten free rolled oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup of raw agave nectar (I used honey)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 TBSP raw cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips (organic)



Instructions:

1. In a food processor, process almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt until it is a fine meal.
2. Add the agave (honey) and vanilla and process until mixed.
3. Add the cacao nibs or chocolate chips and pulse until combined.
4. Roll the dough in our hands to form balls about 1 tsp each and place them on a cookie sheet pan lined with parchment paper. OR I use a melon baller to form mine.  They turn into half circles, but you can pack the dough in them to ensure they stick together!   Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up.  Store in a tightly covered container in the freezer.

Yum!

Now, remember, if you are using honey, use local for the best health benefits and support small businesses!

I have also substituted the almonds for Brazil nuts.  I have also used sunflower seeds in place of the almonds.  Just go raw when you can so you get the most health benefits out of unprocessed nuts.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know what you think!

                                                   

Advertisement

You've made the switch to cloth for your little one,

 now why not make the switch for yourself?

The Great Cloth Diaper Change with Enkore Kids

It's here! The day of The Great Cloth Diaper Change has arrived! Did you attend? I hope so! The cloth diapering members of the Thrifty Nifty Mommy Blogging Network have partnered up with Enkore Kids to bring you a really fun giveaway to celebrate!

As you already know, I am a HUGE fan of cloth diapers! In fact, I sort of get a little giddy over cloth diapers...how nerdy is that?! I'm super excited to bring you this giveaway! <3 MCO.

One lucky reader will win a $100 Gift Certificate to Enkore Kids! You can use this certificate at their brick and mortar store in Boonsboro, Maryland or online. Not only does Enkore Kids have a great selection of new and used cloth diapers, they are also a consignment store for children's clothes and gear. You can use your winnings on more diapers for your stash, new-to-you clothes for the kids, or a little bit of both! With $100 to spend, you're sure to walk away with lots of goodies!!

Because we're celebrating the awesomeness of cloth diapers today, this giveaway is going to be a little bit different....and a lot more fun! You'll get extra entries into the giveaway by reading about which cloth (or swim) diapers are our favorites! Good luck!!











a Rafflecopter giveaway


Congrats to Candice D. Gray!

The winner of this giveaway will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter which uses Random.org. The winner will be announced both on Rafflecopter as well as MCO’s Facebook. The winner will have their prize sent to them by Enkore Kids, Mommys Craft Obsession and other participating bloggers are not responsible for prize shipment. Must be 18 years and older. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. No Purchase Necessary. US Only.

Love this blog? 

Vote for us daily so we can continue to bring you great giveaways!

Advertisement

You've made the switch to cloth for your little one,

 now why not make the switch for yourself?

Celebrate You with Amana

My husband and I bought our first home (a townhouse) a little over 3 years ago. Like any new homeowner buying a previously-lived-in home, there were a number of things I wanted to change about the home after we moved in. And, like many new homeowners, we quickly ran out of time and finances to make all the changes we had envisioned. One of the projects that got sidelined was a kitchen makeover. The appliances that came with the house worked, so they stayed.  While this was a financial blessing, it was also disappointing.

Although all of the appliances in our home could use an upgrade, the one I disliked the most was our electric range.  It was the cheapest model available, for the cheapest brand on the market, and it certainly showed.  Yes, it did work.  However, it was slow - really, really slow.  It would take FOREVER for the oven to preheat, and even longer for a pot of water to boil! But, I could deal with those things.  What I could not deal with was the coil elements and drip pans!  When I cook, I tend to make a horrible mess which means my range becomes a horrible mess.  I'm a bit of a clean freak when it comes to the kitchen, so I'd have to clean the drip pans after each use.  Despite constant cleaning, the range and drip pans never really looked all that clean and I would turn green with envy any time I visited another home with a beautiful, sleek glass cooktop range.

You can imagine my excitement (complete understatement) when I found out that I was going to have the chance to review the Amana 4.8 cu. ft. Self-Cleaning Electric Range.  I was beyond thrilled! Finally, I was getting the glass cooktop range I'd dreamed about!!

My Favorite Features:

As you might have imagined, my absolute favorite feature is the glass-ceramic cooktop! Every night after dinner I'm able to clean and shine my range back to good-as-new status. It's so easy to clean the cooktop!  Once it's cool, just use a little spray cleaner, wipe it off, and you're done! About once a week, or if there happens to be burnt food on the range, I will use special cooktop cleaner. The brand I currently use is Afresh, which came as a sample with the range, along with a small scrubbing pad, and they work great.   I love not having to purchase new drip pans every week. The glass-ceramic cooktop should become standard for all electric ranges!

The cooktop features 4 heating elements; two 6" and two 10" elements.  The 10" elements are wonderful for heating larger pots or frying pans.  There's a good deal of space between the elements too which is especially nice when you're utilizing all four elements at once.  They also heat up really quickly and seem to distribute the heat more evenly.

Another major benefit of this range is the cooking time!  This range not only boils my water faster, it preheats in half the time of my old oven AND it cooks food more evenly thanks to Amana's Temp Assure Cooking System. Whether I'm fixing food on the cooktop or baking it in the oven, it just turns out better... and in a shorter amount of time!

At 4.8 cu. ft capacity, there is plenty of room inside the oven to bake our favorite meals.  There are 2 wire racks that can be adjusted in 5 different positions.  This Amana range also features a self-cleaning function that can be adjusted based on the soil level of your oven!   Amana has even added a delay bake option which can really come in handy.  Now, I can set the timer and the food will be ready when I want it to be!   And, if I'm not quite ready, there is a great keep warm setting that will maintain the temperature of our food without cooking it any further.

The oven has an extra large oven window.  It's completely clear and when the light is turned on, you can see the food baking inside very well.  The light on my previous oven was so dim that I could barely see if there was even food inside!  With the Amana range, I can see the food SO clearly without having to open the door and letting all the heat out.   As you can see, my little ones also LOVE watching their favorite food as it bakes in the Amana oven.  Especially, when pizza is on the menu!

The controls on the Amana range are super user friendly.  I didn't even need to check the instruction manual to figure out how to set the clock or use any of the other features.  I love the indicator lights that tell you if the cooktop is on or if the surface is still hot.

The storage drawer on the Amana range is really roomy and offers plenty of room for all of my baking sheets.

I've been using my Amana Electric Range for a month now and I'm in love! It's everything I hoped it would be and so much more. I could not be happier with this range and I'm sure we'll be using it for many years to come.

I know after reading this review you'd LOVE a new Amana Electric Range for your house too. The range I reviewed has a MSRP of $599.99. It is also available in white at that same price, or Stainless Steel with a MSRP of $699.99. See Amana's full line of appliances and find out where you can buy them by visiting their website, liking them on Facebook, and following them on Twitter.

 One lucky reader is going to WIN one as part of our Mother's Day Celebrate YOU event! If you'd like a chance to take one of these home, just fill out the easy Rafflecopter entry form below. Good luck!









Love this blog? Please click the Top Mommy Blogs banner every day! This casts a vote for my blog today and helps me continue to get great products to share with you! You can vote daily! Thank you so much!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats to Kelly Nicholson!

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of May 4th. The winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter which uses Random.org. The winner will be announced both on Rafflecopter as well as MCO’s Facebook. The winner will have their prize sent to them by Amana, Mommys Craft Obsession and Thrifty Nifty Mommy are not responsible for prize shipment. Must be 18 years and older. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. No Purchase Necessary. US Only.

*This review is 100% original and written by Thrifty Nifty Mommy.

Love this blog? 

Vote for us daily so we can continue to bring you great giveaways!

Advertisement

You've made the switch to cloth for your little one,

 now why not make the switch for yourself?